Tehran, July 10, IRNA - The European Union extended until Monday a suspension on sanctions on Iran, in the second move this month to allow more time for talks in Vienna to achieve a deal, the European Council said in a statement.

The statement said the extension would 'allow more time for the ongoing negotiations to reach a long term solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.'

Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the US have been negotiating with Iran over limiting the country�s peaceful nuclear program in return of lifting of harmful international sanctions.

Both sides have said they want a deal but the progress has been painfully slow, according to UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

Iran�s foreign minister Javad Zarif on Friday blamed his counterparts from the six world powers for deadlock in nuclear talks, saying they backtracked their verbal promises in the stage of wrting the context of the deal.

By IRNA